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As Team 1200 host Steve Lloyd was wrapping up his “In the Box” show Monday morning, he noted for the first time in club history the Senators had three defencemen on their blueline this weekend who are all from the Ottawa area.

No. 1: There’s defenceman Marc Methot who was dealt here in the off-season from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for winger Nick Foligno.

No 2: Binghamton captain/veteran Andre Benoit, 29, has spent most of his career in the AHL, but hails from nearby St. Albert, Ontario (a place mostly known for its cheese).

No. 3: Rookie Mark Borowiecki, who grew up a slapshot away from the rink in Stittsville, suited up for the fourth game of his NHL career and his first at Scotiabank Place.

Methot hadn’t given it much thought when it happened on the weekend but felt it was unique for an NHL team.

“That’s right,” said Methot, who grew up and still lives in the Mooney’s Bay area. “It’s pretty cool, especially playing in the NHL. That’s not something I don’t think you’d get too often, but especially to have us all on defence.”

Methot believes the fact it has happened says something about the ability of the Ottawa area to develop players.

“I’m proud of it,” said Methot. “It’s great for the city and the kids growing up. You’ve got think that all the kids playing minor hockey around here know they have an opportunity.

“It can happen for them. It pushes them and motivates them. I think it’s good for hockey.”

Sunday’s 2-1 shootout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins was memorable for Borowiecki, who played at home for the first time in his career. He played twice on the West Coast last season and then suited up in Tampa Friday for his third game.

“It was pretty special,” said Borowiecki. “I try not to think about it much because there’s too many ups and downs. It’s got to be all business every day. I’m trying to approach it the same way I would any other day.”

Though Borowiecki’s parents made the trip to California last year to see his debut, his mother Cynthia broke her arm when she slipped on some ice going into an underground garage earlier in the day and wasn’t able to make it.

“Fortunately, my Dad (Tom) made it,” said Borowiecki.

That’s okay, there should be other chances.

AROUND THE BOARDS: Senators G Craig Anderson pulled out his Heritage mask _ designed by John Pepe _ from last season to wear vs. the Caps. The club will wear their black third jerseys for the first time this season at home. “Same one as last year. I just took out of the box and I’m going to wear it again,” said Anderson. Backup G Ben Bishop has ordered his third jersey mask from designer DaveArt in Sweden. “We’ve talked about a few things but I’m not sure what it’s going to look like,” said Bishop. His current mask features Parliament Hill in Ottawa on one side and the Parliament buildings in London, England with “Big Ben” ... GM Bryan Murray will hold off on looking for blueline help. “The area of the concern was our defence but they’re managing the puck and are very responsible,” said Murray. “With (Mike) Lundin getting closer to returning and (Eric) Gryba playing well (in Binghamton) we think we’ve got eight or nine that can play. That wasn’t the case when (Jared) Cowen went down (with a hip injury).”

OFF THE GLASS: Lundin, signed as a UFA in the off-season, could join the club for practice next week and may be ready to play in two weeks. He has been out with a broken thumb he suffered playing in the Swedish second division during the lockout. “He’s got the pins out of his fingers which is a positive,” said coach Paul MacLean. “He’s been skating with (assistant) Jason Smith quite a bit and keeping up that way. It’s whether he can grab a stick or not.” Lundin is on the club’s suspended list until he gets healthy and is not being paid. He had to sign a waiver to allow him to get rehab with the Senators ... There are only 1,000 tickets left for the visit by the Caps. Kids 14-and-under get in free with the purchase of an adult ticket. Pop is $1 at the concessions.

THE LAST WORD: Struggling to find the right combinations, new Washington coach Adam Oates has been using Alex Ovechkin with Jay Beagle and Joey Crabb. “I guess I’m still learning. I like having north/south guys with him. Maybe sometimes with the other guys they might try and get too creative,” Oates told the Washington Times Monday. “And at the time when I did it last night we needed creativity. We needed something. We needed a spark. We need a goal. As opposed to just maybe being more relentless as a team going north. And I think playing with (Crabb) and (Beagle) they’re going to go north more.” Should be interesting to watch.

Garrioch's Snapshots

As Team 1200 host Steve Lloyd was wrapping up his “In the Box” show Monday morning, he noted for the first time in club history the Senators had three defencemen on their blueline this weekend who are all from the Ottawa area.